Prezident Brown

Prezident Brown is the reigning Jamaican reggae M.C., a champion of the new roots and reality consciousness, with a message that is pure Rasta conscious vibes, from the spiritual “To Jah Only” through his more recent “Do Thy Work.” He is an artist driven by a sense of mission and purpose that, he likes to say, “edutains” (heightens the consciousness of listeners) as much as entertains. According to JamBase, “A distinct and powerful stage presence, a Prezident Brown show is a transcendent spiritual movement that leaves audiences satiated, sweaty and smiling.” Born Fitz Albert Cotterell, Prezident Brown grew up in the green hills of Clarendon, Jamaica. As “Junior Ranking,” a name his mother gave him, he would grab the microphone and chant away at schoolyards and country dances. As a teenager, he was known as Slim Brown because of his resemblance and similar DJ style to his mentor, U Brown. Discovered by reggae producer Jack Ruby, who renamed him Prezident Brown, he became one of the hottest sound system stars, recording for a number of record companies, and in the ’90s his songs began to supplant the guns and self-hype lyrics then popular in the dance halls. Collaborations included appearing on Steel Pulse’s “Black and Proud.”